HOPE.

My Favorite Brain Abnormality

You know you read too many research papers when you have a favorite ‘brain abnormality.’ Guilty as charged! Years ago I began collecting a list of brain abnormalities associated with bipolar disorder. Primarily, I used this list to help teachers, family and friends ‘see’ the physical nature of the illness. When I wrote The Childhood Bipolar Disorder Answer Book, I threw out my first list and started from stratch with the documented brain abnormalities found specifically in childhood onset bp. As

02

Jul

FEATURED Posts

02 Jul, 2016

Let's Talk About the "M" Word

That’s right, MANIPULATION. Nobody likes to feel manipulated or to be called a manipulator. Kids with bipolar disorder are frequently accused of manipulation by teachers, family and friends. But is there more behind it? For insight into this topic please enjoy an excerpt from my book, Intense Minds: Altering the Environment When was the last time you altered your environment to make it more comfortable? You probably did today. Did you turn on the light to read this book? Did you turn on the heat
02 Jul, 2016

My Fuzzy Orange Socks

I bought a pair of socks a few months ago. At $3.00 they weren’t exactly a huge splurge. Arguably the best thing about these socks is that they are orange. Yes, orange is my favorite color! But they aren’t just any pair of orange socks, they are the softest pair of socks I have ever had. Infused with aloe, they pamper overworked feet. So what do fuzzy orange socks have to do with raising a child with bipolar disorder? One word – COMFORT. As a noun the word comfort means relief from affliction;
29 Jun, 2016

Compassion Makes a Difference

“Some months after my son began treatment for bipolar disorder we ran into a snag. We had seen improvements in my son’s mood swings, and he was feeling better. Even so, he did not like to take the medication that his psychiatrist had prescribed. It soon became a daily battle. At his next visit with the doctor, I informed him of my child’s reluctance to take medication for his illness. I sat back, fully expecting the doctor to give my child a lecture on the necessity of taking medication.
29 Jun, 2016

What You Got Instead

"Take a minute just to breathe and think of everything you wanted and what you got instead." Lyrics From: “Straight Ahead” by: David Cook Rarely do our lives turn out as expected. When I was four years old, I wanted to be a dolphin – not surprisingly, things didn’t work out. When I was 10 years old, I decided that I would be a missionary. While much more plausible than a dolphin, this didn’t work out either. When I got married at 18 years old, I thought it would last forever. It didn’t.

Tags